Control system and device



March 16, 1943. H. s. OGDEN ETAL 2,314,239

CONTROL SYSTEM AND DEVICE Filed July 24, 1941 /a /6 1 LA 27 E 1 29 /7 l3 26 3/ 30 /9 a2 0 ,aa I a /0 a l /2 34 i A; i 20 WM-- 1 J [5 umor 35 Inventors:

Harold S. Ogden, Rember't 0. Al e9,

Their Attornel Patented Mar. 16, 1943 2,314,239 I CONTROL SYSTEM AND DEVICE Harold s. ogaen and Rembert o. Alley, Erie, Pa., assignors to General Electric Company, a cor poration of New York I Application July 24, 1941, Serial No. 403,198

2 Claims. (Cl. 172-279) Our invention relates to control systems and devices and more particularly to means for starting alternating current motors of the split phase type.

In order to compensate for line voltage fluc tuations and to insure that the starting winding of an alternating current split phase motor is disconnected when the motor has reached a predetermined speed in its starting sequence, it is known to use a balanced-beam relay having restraining and operating coils both of which are energized in response to a function of the line current. In these known devices, however, the restraining coil has been a series or current-responsive coil. Such a relay must carry the high motor'starting current and operates by exerting a restraining force which diminishes as the line' current decreases. This type of relay is not suitable for the starting of motors having different current ratings, since the restraining coil of any particular device must be coordinated with the current rating of the motor to which it is con nected. Furthermore, such a relay is not suitable for the control of motors having very high current ratings without the addition of auxiliary apparatus .to reduce the restraining coil current to a reasonable value.

Accordingly, it is an object ofour invention to provide a new and improved control system for the starting of split lphase alternating current notors which shall provide compensation for line voltage fluctuation.

It is 'a further object of our invention to provide a starting relay for split phase alternating current motor starting systems which shall be adaptable to the control of motors of large current ratings without the interposition of auxiliary apparatus, and which shall be adapted to the control 01' motors of different current ratings without the alteration of any of the parts of the relay.

A preferred form or our invention comprises a dlilerential starting relay, provided with a restraining coil responsive to the voltage drop across the voltage drop across the running winding of the motor. Such a relay has the advantage that it is adaptable to the control of all motors having substantially the same predetermined voltage drop across their running and starting windings. Since many motors or different sizes are designed to have approximately the same voltage drop across their operating windings, it will be evieral application than devices heretofore known. Furthermore our relay is suitable for ,the control of motors having very large current ratings without the addition of auxiliary apparatus and without the inconvenience of a restraining coil hav-. ing very large current carrying capacity. For example, our relay is particularly well suited for control of the single-phase alternating current blower motors used on electric locomotives andthe like.

For a more complete understanding of our invention and for a further appreciation of its many objects and advantages reference should now be had to the following detailed specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

the single figure of which is a simplified circuit" diagram of a motor starting control system embodying our invention.

Referring now to the drawing, I have illus trated a split phase alternating current motor comprising a short circuited armature ID, a running winding H and a starting winding 12 in combination with a diiTerential balanced-beam starting relay l3 and suitable connectionsrto a source of alternating current supply it and IS.

The running winding I l isarranged for connection to the source of supply I, I5 through the main contacts it of a running contactor II. The starting winding [2 is arranged for connection to the source of supply l4, IS in parallel with the running winding ll through the contacts. it of a starting contactor [9. In order to obtain the necessary quadrature phase relation of the .currents traversing the windings H and H, the running winding H is preferably wound in such a manner that its inductance is considerably higher than that of the starting winding ii.

To further assist in obtaining a nearly ninety degree relation between the currents in the windings II and i 2 a resistor 20 is permanently connected in .series with the starting winding l2. Thus the running winding 'II is predominently inductive while the starting winding i2, in combination with the resistor 20, is predominantly resistive. For this reason the current in the winding ll lags the current in the winding l2 by substantially ninety electrical degrees, thereby to provide a starting torque.

The running contactor ll includes an operating coil 25 which may be connected by. means of a control switch 26 directly across the terminals of a source of control voltage such as a storage battery 21. The starting contactor I9 includes an operating coil 28 which may likewise be-connected dent that our relay is of considerably more genacross the battery 21 through the control switch running contactor i1.

ated it closes its contacts constant.

23 and through a pair of control contacts 29, of the starting relay l3.

The starting relay I3 comprises a pivotally mounted floating magnetic armature 3| arranged to be differentially influenced by a pair of oppositely disposed electroresponsive magnetic cores 32 and 33. The core 32 is provided with an energizing coil 34 which is connected through a resistor 35 across the terminals 01' the running winding H of the motor, thereby to provide a substantially constant restraining force for the relay l3. The core 33 carries an energizing coil 38 connected directly across the terminals of the starting winding I! of the motor through a pair of interlock contacts 31 of the The winding 36 acts as an operating winding for the relay l3 to open the relay contacts 29 and 30 at a predetermined motor speed.

In operation the motor is started by closing the control switch 26. Upon closure of the switch 26 an energizing circuit is established for the operating coil 25 and the running oontactor I1 is actuated to close its contacts I6 and 31. Closure of the contacts i3 connects the running winding ll directly across the source of supply '4, i5, and closure of the contacts 31 connects the operating winding 38 of the relay I 3 directly across the starting winding H of the motor. Since the running winding ll now carries a current, the restraining coil 34 of the relay I3 is energized by the voltage drop across the winding H. Energization oi the magnet core 32 produces a force which attracts the associated end of the balanced armature 3| thereby to close the relay contacts 23 and 30. Closure of the contacts 23 and 30 completes an energizing circuit for the operating coil 28 of the starting contactor is. When the starting contactor i3 is actui8 to connect the starting winding I! to the source of supply ll, IS in parallel to the running winding i I. A flow of current through the starting winding l2 provides a voltage drop for energizing the operating winding 36 of the relay 13. When the motor is at standstill, however, the voltage drop across the starting winding l2, and consequently the energization of the operating winding 38 of the relay I3, is very small so that the relay remains in its contact closing position under the influence ofits restraining coil 34.

As the motor armature [0 comes up to speed the voltage across the starting winding [2 increases proportionately while the voltage across the running winding ll remains substantially The starting relay i3 is so designed that at a predetermined point in the starting sequence the attraction of the magnet core 33 ot the relay is sufficient to overcome the attractive force of the substantially constantly energized magnet core 32, thereby to move the relay armature 31 to its contact opening position and deenergize the operating coil 38 of the starting contactor l9. Upon deenergization oi the starting contactor IS the starting winding i2 is disconnected irom the supply source at the contacts it. After disconnection of the winding l2,- however. a voltage still exists between the terminals oi the operating winding 33 of the relay I 3 due to induction from the rotating armature il. Whilethe induced voltage in the starting winding I2 is less than the applied voltage, and therefor the energization of the operating winding 33 is diminished upon disabling of the starting contactor IS, the energization of the operating winding 36 of the relay is still sufficient to hold the armature 3| in its contact opening position after it has once been actuated to this position.

It will now be observed that we have provided a differential starting relay for a split phase slternating current motor in which the balancedbeam principle is used to insure that the relay will be operated at a predetermined motor speed regardless of fluctuations oi the line voltage. Furthermore, our relay comprises a restraining coil and an operating coil, both of which are of the shunt type so that they are not limited in their utility to a motor of a predetermined current rating.

While we have shown and described a pre-" ferred embodiment of our invention by way of illustration, many iurther modifications will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. We therefore wish to have it understood that we intend by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States:

1. In combination, a split phase alternating current motor having a running winding and a starting winding, means for connecting said running winding to an alternating current supply source, and a balanced beam motor starting relay comprising electromagnetic means for energizing said starting winding from said supply source in accordance with the voltage drop across said running winding and electromagnetic means for disabling said starting winding in response to the voltage drop across said starting winding, said electromagnetic means being disposed in opposing relation to insure the disabling of said starting winding at a predetermined motor speed irrespective of variations in the voltage of said source of supply.

2. In combination, a split phase alternating current motor having a running winding and a starting winding, means for connecting said running winding to a source of alternating current supply, and a diflerential balanced beam electromagnetic relay ior controlling said starting winding, said relay comprising a restraining coil energized in accordance with the voltage drop across said running winding to actuate said relay to connect said starting winding to said source of supply, and an oppositely acting operating coil energized in accordance with the voltage drop across said starting winding to actuate said re-- lay to disconnect said starting winding from said source of supply, said coils cooperating to insure the operation of said relay at a predetermined motor speed, irrespective of variations in the voltage 01' said source of supply.

HAROLD B. OGDEN. REMBERT C. ALLEY. 

